Hi!

I have a doe that gave birth (her first time) to a single kid - to whom she rejected.

I have been milking her to bottle feed him 6 oz - 4 times a day. Now that he is almost 2 weeks old, I want to increase his feedings but she isn't providing much more than 3.5 cups per day.

Is there anything I can feed her or do to get more milk?

She is getting about 4 cups of grains per day, and has 24 hour access to a good alfalfa based hay. I tried increasing her grain intake, but she got diahrea.

Thanks for any ideas!!

Betty Jo

-- Betty Jo (amaroq@bmts.com), February 10, 2002

Answers

Each of the following is important in getting a doe to produce as much as possible. 1. A very clean water bucket, dumped, rinsed and refilled at least once per day. 2. Salt and mineral mix - free choice. 3. I would offer grass hay once a day instead of alfalfa all the time. 4. Do you milk her completly out twice per day, as close as possible to 12 hours apart? At the end of each milking massage the udder for a few seconds, milk out the teats, keep repeating four or five times until nothing squirts out. You are right that she is getting enough grain, maybe even too much for that amount of milk production. Some does that do not milk well their first year do much better in later years, but 3.5 cups is only 1 1/2 lbs. per day. That is not acceptable by anyone's standards. It is usually the practice to milk the doe out within 12 to 24 hours after the kid is born if you plan to hand feed, and begin immediately on the twice per day milking. If there was a delay in doing this because you planned to leave the kid on her, that might account for the low production. Don't give up yet, she may increase her production. Please be sure that the problem is not mastitis. That often shows up right after kidding and does result in low milk production.

-- Dianne Wood - Woodland, WA (woodgoat@pacifier.com), February 10, 2002.

How long ago did she give birth, what breed is she, how old is she, and how big is she? (Measure around her chest just behind her front legs with a sewing tape). What is her body condition like, is she thin along the backbone? It depends on whether or not she is capable of high production. Some does do not give a lot of milk. Others, especially yearlings, could do better if conditions were right, and usually do a lot better the next time around.

Do not increase her grain so fast that she gets diarrhea. If she still has it, give her some Probios and baking soda, the soda should be offered daily or free choice. One thing that should help is to make sure she drinks lots of water. If it's cold where you are, bring her warm water from the house, and make sure that the bucket is clean, so she'll drink lots. Otherwise they will eat snow or drink just enough water to sustain themselves. Now would be a great time to worm her, birthing stresses the does and makes them very susceptible to worms.

-- Rebekah (daniel1@itss.net), February 10, 2002.

In addition to the advice already provided you can try top dressing her feed with some fennelgreek seeds, about 1 Tblsp. That may help some, however, if the genetics are not there for milk production, all the finest feed and hay won't help much.

-- Bernice (geminigoats@yahoo.com), February 10, 2002.

Is the doe normal other than the milk production? Temp, alertness, etc. Does her stool look normal, other than the runs? Cocci will often go between diareha and normal loooking stool and also bring milk production down. Most of my first fresheners will often only milk about 4.5# and then increase to over a pound the second year (Nubians). I have also had a doe milk similar to what you are getting that also had a single doe. She had milk fever/ketosis, so that is why I am asking about anything different with the doe such as temp, alertness, how she is eating, etc. Mastitis is also something to consider.

-- Leslie in Western WA (sundaycreek@gnrac.net), February 10, 2002.

Thanks for everyone's help.

I follow just about all the things mentioned.

Her condition is good, and she is in good proportion......maybe a little thin. Her udder, when full is the size of a large cerial bowl. She is a small goat - about a year old. She is an Alpine/Nubian mix.

This afternoon we went out and divided the stall in half that she shared with another goat. We watched their behaviour with each other, and we noticed that the other goat was chasing her away from the hay rack a lot.

Now that she has her own separate quarters, and no one to chase her away from the hay, I will monitor her milk production for improvement. If there is non, I guess I can just blame her genetics.

We got the goats from a guy who keeps his herd to sell the babies for meat, so maybe I am expecting too much from her.

Thanks again everyone,

Betty Jo

-- Betty Jo (amaroq@bmts.com), February 10, 2002.

Forgot. If you need more milk you can get some store bought cow's milk (whole, not low fat) and either mix that with the goats milk or I like to mix 1 gallon of the milk, 1 can evaporated milk and 1 cup buttermilk together and then mix with goat milk to make up the amount needed. I have 3 first fresheners that although they are milking as I expected are not providing as much as I would like to feed the kids. I only have one other doe milking besides these so have been using about 2/3 goat milk and 1/3 of this mixture.

-- Leslie in Western WA (sundaycreek@gnrac.net), February 10, 2002.

Leslie,

The goat is normal, it is just her milk production that is low. She is allert and energetic and exactly the same as she was when I got her abour 3 months ago.

Her stool is always normal - the time she got the runs was my fault (too many grains one day) She had her normal stool back late the next day.

As for mastitis, well her udder is perfectly normal feeling - it is not hot, swollen, tender or showing anyother sign of irritation. I use a teat dip on her every time I milk and keep a clean layer of straw on her bedding at all times.

Thanks for your help,

Betty Jo

P.S Thanks for the info on how I can suplement the kid's diet :D

-- Betty Jo (amaroq@bmts.com), February 10, 2002.

Betty, she is also pretty young. If she isn't wiegh taping 100 pounds or more than she simply doesn't have the body to milk more than she is. If she is a yearling than she is still growing herself. After you wean the kid at 12 weeks, dry her up and let her grow really well before you breed her this coming fall. Make sure the kid is getting at least three 20 ounce bottles a day, without the calcium from that much milk you will once again have a little goat. Shoot a Nubian Alpine cross should be a big robust doe! Make sure she is well wormed, and if she is getting diarrhea from the grain increase, make sure your grain isn't to heavy with molassas! Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), February 11, 2002.